An incident of vandalism and loot has been reported at the shrine of Hazrat Haji Khaja Shahbaz (RA), located near Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan, on Tuesday morning.
According to Zahirul Islam, caretaker of the shrine, a group of individuals attacked the shrine, causing significant damage and stealing the donation box.
The incident occurred around 11am on Tuesday, during a time when thousands of religious scholars and followers were gathered at Suhrawardy Udyan for an Islamic conference focused on Dawah, Tablighi Jamaat, and the protection of Islamic faith.
Eyewitnesses said that a group of people, arrived at the shrine around 10am, where they carried out the attack.
The attackers reportedly destroyed the shrine’s interior, tearing the curtains and breaking the iron railings.
Zahirul Islam, shrine’s caretaker, said that the assailants also stole the donation box and physically assaulted those present at the shrine when they attempted to stop them.
"They came and tore our banners and posters outside the shrine. They beat the devotees inside and entered the shrine wearing shoes. They broke the iron railings and took three donation boxes. During the attack, a woman was also assaulted. We contacted the army, and their arrival stopped the attackers from completely demolishing the shrine," said Zahirul Islam.
The assailants reportedly threatened to return after the conference and destroy the shrine entirely.
In response to the incident, Khaled Monsur, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahbagh police station, said: "We have not received any reports of vandalism, and no formal complaints have been filed yet."
